


Teamwork (RaphDon Drabbles)

by Plastron



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Penetration, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Animal Instincts, Ass Play, Awkward situations, Bickering like a married couple, Biting, Chubby Don, Closet Sex, Dirty Talk, Eggs, Embarrassment, Established Relationship, Exhibitionism, Guilt, Humiliation, Insecurity, IntersexDon, Knotting, Lube, M/M, Mates, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg (referenced), Oil, Pain, Painful Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Rough Sex, Sex, Violence, egg kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25414744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plastron/pseuds/Plastron
Summary: Raphael and Donatello make a good pair, in the bedroom and otherwise. ;)Drabbles about various points in their relationship, often NSFW, focusing on how they work together on missions.Based on the TMNT 2003 cartoon characterizations, and very much inspired by observations the lovely and kindtmkslfhas made about the two!Please look attmkslf's beautiful TMNT art!Tmkslf'stwitter&tumblr!I wouldn't have started writing fics or drawing for TMNT fandom if it weren't for their sweet and observant works. ♡
Relationships: Donatello/Raphael (TMNT)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 108





	1. A Cold Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don's shivering on a cold night stake-out. Raph has a plan to warm him up.

**A Cold Night**

_(Inspired by tmkslf's comments about Don shivering like a little fawn. X3)_

It’d been about 3 hours, and Raph was growing more and more restless with every passing second. 

“How long’re we gonna wait for these jerks ta show?” He grunted under his breath.

“J-uust…a little longer…I-I’m sure they’ll…s-sh-show up soon.” Don replied, his teeth chattering. Even so, he looked through his night vision binoculars steadily, and had been for the entire time they were planted there on that cold rooftop.

“Well, if I don’t get any asses to beat soon, I’m gonna go lookin’ fer some.”

“Don’t…y-y-you dare, Raph. We’ve gotta stick to the plan, r-r-emember?”

Raph shifted in the blanket, amused by Don’s shivering voice. Don had been the one to suggest packing the blanket, after all. He carried it with him in his ever-present duffle bag. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

With a twinge of guilt, Raph pulled at the blanket to share more with Don. Looking down, he saw the problem: Don’s backside and legs were completely bare as he hunched forward on his knees and elbows to look through the binoculars. The blanket must’ve fallen off of him during their rooftop stakeout.

Raph was more warm-blooded than Don, after all. The only thing keeping the purple-clad turtle from falling asleep in this chilly air was the extra coffee he drank before the mission. Raph felt a little chilled, but nothing near as cold as Don, from the looks of his mate’s trembling legs. 

Raph blew on his hands to warm them, then reached down and pressed his hands to the top of Don’s backside. 

“Yaugh!” Don yelped at the sudden warm sensation against his cold skin, flinching and pulling his knees together…which only pushed his pert ass further up in the air. Of course Don was an intelligent turtle, but he lost all sense of logic as he was overwhelmed by the heating pressure of Raph’s large, rough palms against his soft ass. 

Raph couldn’t help but grin as he felt Don’s tail jump, too, beneath his thumb. 

“Shhh! Sheesh, an’ yer the one always tellin’ me to keep my voice down durin’ these reconnaissance missions.” 

“W-well I-I’m not the o-o-one always c-complaining about—ghh!” Don lost his train of thought as two strong, warm hands squeezed the rounded flesh on his bottom. 

“Raph-!” He hissed. “C-cut it out, do you want to blow our c-cover?” 

“Nah, of course not. But if ya don’t wanna blow our cover, then ya better keep still, Donnie-boy.” Raph purred, leaning his head down close to Don’s. He ran his hands over the plump buttocks, squeezing and pinching and rubbing with a steady rhythm. 

Don swallowed audibly as he tried to keep his grip on the binoculars steady.

Raph ran his hands down the backs of Don’s thighs, delighting in feeling the muscles tense and jump beneath his touch. He caught his tongue between his teeth as he smirked, watching the genius intently for hints of a reaction. Don tried to keep his focus, but it was clear by the soft hitches in his breath and the trembling of his thighs that he was responding to his mate’s touch against his lower body.

Raph grinned and went in for the finale: he massaged the soft flesh of Don’s inner thighs, working his way back up to those perfectly round globes… He dipped his index finger just between Don’s cheeks, wiggling the tip of his finger just so beneath Don’s (stubbornly tucked) tail, and—

Don let out a soft churr, nearly dropping the binoculars as he reflexively pushed his ass up into the air, his short plump tail twitching as it came untucked.

Seeing his chance, Raph pulled his fingers away to wet them in his mouth. Then he pressed his index finger against Don’s hole, stroking the rim.

“R-raph…mghhh…” Don rasped. He churred again, high and breathless. “A-are you seriously--! Ah!” Despite his admonishing tone, Don pushed his ass back to meet Raph’s searching finger. “F-fingering me—ahhnn…w-w-while we’re--?!”

Raph squeezed Don’s ass possessively and bent down to plant a wet kiss to one of the cheeks, dragging his canines against the pliable skin before pulling back. 

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” He chuckled. 

Then he pushed his finger all the way inside Don.

Don dropped his binoculars with a soft thud against the blanket, his head dipping down as he thrust his ass back in submission. He bit down on his hand to keep himself from crying out. 

Raph twisted his finger, smirking. That chilly night on the roof just got a lot hotter.


	2. Two-Way Frequency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A drabble completely written in sound/dialogue.
> 
> Don forgot to mute his headset during a mission with Raph.  
> Leo and Mikey get an interesting broadcast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some references to Don being intersex (mpreg and eggs).

**Two-Way Frequency**

A drabble completely in dialogue

Leo: Don, Don, do you read me?

_-static-_

Mikey: That’s never a good sign.

Leo: Shh, give him a second- Don, are you okay?

_-shuffling noises-_

Mikey: Is the dude’s headset even on? All we’ve been getting is static and weird noises.

Leo: We might have to go in after –

Don: **Ohhh-!**

Leo: Don! Are you alright?

_-Thud-_

Don: mm…Oh, yeah.

L: _(sighs in relief)_

M: Yeah, Donnie, what’s going on over there?

D: The coast is clear…I don't see **_anyone else._**

L: Great. What’s your position?

_-shuffling-_

Raph: Oh, dat's _**good news.**_

M: Okay, now I’m majorly confused. Is Raph wearing Don’s headset?

L: Raph! Don! What is your position? Are you okay?

D: Mmm…yeah, I think if we just—

_-thud-_

R: Move yer legs-

_-clacking noise-_

M: Uh. Leo. What’re they doing?

L: …

R: -that’s a good boy.

D: _(churr)_ Ohhh… please, we don’t have much time…

R: Hm. Guess that means I’ll hafta getcha good an’ wet myself, then.

_(squelching noises)_

D: Ah… ahhh, shell, **_Raphie_** -!

R: Hehe…’Raphie’ _**what?**_

D: P-put it… aah! Oh! **_Put it in me~_**

R: Uhnnn…shit, that’s tight.

D: H-hurry, please-!

R: _(snarls) (churrs)_

D: Ah. Ah. Ahh! Augh! Ugh! Aaah, **_c’mon_** … ah-!

R: Fuckkk…yeah, gonna stuff ya **so full** …

D: Ooh, R-Raphie…! Ah, yes! **Pleeease** ~

R: G-Gonna… **fill** ya…gonna-!

_-shuffling noise-_

_-teeth clicking-_

D: Agh! OHH!! _(churrs)_

D: Ah! R-aaaph! _(gasp)_

C’mon, yeah… ohyeah…ohshell…

mmm…g-ah, get me pregnant-!

I’m gonna…Aauuugh!!

R: Fu-uuuck… _(grunts)_ Ohfuck, Donnie, so fuckin’ tight…

D: Augh, I’m so full-!

R: _(panting)_ Yeah, yeh’re takin’ it all, ain’t cha?

D: Y-yes~

R: Gonna get cha good **an’ full a’ eggs** …

D: _(quivering churr)_ Ah… _(whispers)_ mark me-!

R: _(exaggerated growling noise)_

-shuffling-

D: AUGH!!! Fuuuck...that’s good-! Agh! Auugh, I think y-you broke the skin…

R: _(muffled)_ Mmmm…ya taste so fuckin' good, my li’l **cum-slu** -

_(Click)_

L: …

M: …

L: …

M: Um. Well, that was very…educational.

L: (clears throat) I…

M: D’ya…think we should…turn it back on? ‘cuz…that egg talk, what was THAT? I mean…kinda hot…

L: Ew, Mikey!

M: Don’t shame me, dude. Don’t pretend you haven’t jerked it thinkin’ about Don’s special parts before.

L: ………………..W-Well…maybe just to make sure they're safe…

M: Yeah, whatever you say.

_(click)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's willing to be embarrassed, here's a [ VERY NSFW audio edit I made of dialogue from 2k3 Raph and Don voice clips a while back. ](https://inkbunny.net/s/2095384)


	3. The Wrong Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raph and Don are trapped in a small room from which the only escape is a small vent in the wall. Don's got a plan, but he'll need Raph's help for it to work. What could possibly go wrong?
> 
> I'm back on my shit again. ;3 Yanno I can't resist writing/drawing Donnie's lovely ass getting him in *situations* for long.

The Wrong Hole

“Aw, c’mon. You have gotta be kiddin’ me,” Raph grumbled, trying yet again to budge the door, to no avail. It was a strange door; even his sai couldn’t penetrate the metal, and there were no hinges or seams for them to get any leverage, even with Don’s bag of tools.

“Ungh, I’m sorry, but no, this is really happening…we’re locked in.” Don groaned, pushing against the door with his shoulder.

“So what now, genius? Leo an’ Mikey are gonna be at the rendezvous point any minute,” Raph pounded his fist into his hand. “An’ I ain’t gonna enjoy gettin’ another lecture on timin’ from Fearless.”

Their shell coms had long since ceased to work. Something about the building they were in jammed the signals. Even if Mikey and Leo wanted to call them, they couldn’t. And it wouldn’t be any better if they waited around for Leo and Mikey to come rescue them; it would only put the entire team in danger if the other two came back poking around.

Don sank against the door, eyes adjusting to the darkness in the small room. “We won’t get another lecture from anyone if we don’t get out of here, and quick.”

Raph looked around the room. It was small; about 20x20 feet. There didn’t seem to be any surveillance cameras, which might buy them some time before the Purple Dragons realized their hideout had been infiltrated. It might have been a storage room, given the boxes and cleaning supplies littering the dusty corners.

“So ya got a plan?” Raph mumbled, readying his sai just in case someone burst in on them. 

“Well…” Don looked around, inspecting the construction of the room and door frame. He felt a waft of air hit the top of his head. Raising his head, his eyes lit up.

“I’ve got it! If one of us can crawl through that air duct and unlock the door, we’ll be home free.” 

“What… THAT air duct?” 

Don couldn’t help but laugh. “Are there any others in this vast room that I missed?”

“Yeah, ha-ha. But I mean… that’s… that thing is freakin’ tiny, ain’t no way we’re gettin’ out that way.”

“It’s the only chance we have. Besides, maybe it widens past the opening.” Don replied, starting to doubt his plan once he took a second look at the size.

“Well, knock yerself out, Genius, but I ain’t tryin’ it.”

Don sighed, rifling through his duffle bag. He found his screwdriver and held it up. “It’s better than waiting to be discovered by a bunch of angry Purple Dragons. Give me a boost, will you?” 

Raph shrugged. “Alright, if yer sure ya wanna try it, Donnie, be my guest.”  
He held his hands out so Don could plant a foot on his palms.

“Better me than you. Your shoulders are so wide, I doubt you’d even get your chest through.” Don grunted as Raph lifted him with ease, bracing himself against the section of the wall housing the vent opening, which was about 6 feet from the ground- too high for either of them to reach comfortably by themselves, but easily low enough for one turtle to reach with a boost.* He hoped his screwdriver would fit the housings on either side- 

“…ah, yep, a perfect fit.” Don whispered, sticking his tongue out as he worked.

Don made short work of the screws holding the vent opening in place, and passed it down to Raph, who took it without comment and let it clatter to the floor. 

“Raph!” Don hissed over his shoulder. “We don’t want them to know we’re in here. We’d be trapped like—“

“-yeah, yeah, like rats. Got it.” Raph grumbled, shifting his grip around Don’s thighs. He tried to ignore Don’s ass against his chest.

Don placed the screwdriver in his duffle bag and stuffed it into the opening, then shoved it further inside so he could access his tools once he climbed in.

“Okay, I’m going in…” 

“Uh… Donnie,” Raph looked up at the opening again. Even without the vent cover, it still looked pretty small.

“What is it?” Don was wriggling his head and shoulders into the vent, making it a little hard for Raph to keep his grip.

“Yeh…sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’s the only one we’ve got,” Don’s upper half disappeared, and his shell made a scraping noise as it hit the metal inside. 

“Here, lemme—“ Raph hoisted him up higher and gripped him around his knees so he could bend at the waist. Raph turned his head to the side to avoid breathing on Don’s tail, now just inches from his beak.

“Ow, Raph-! Not so hard!” Don admonished from inside, his voice muffled. 

“What? I didn’t do nothin’, I just gave ya a little lift—“

“I don’t need you to push me into the roof! Ugh…” Don grunted. “Just…” He squirmed, which did no favors for Raph’s concentration as he nearly received a mouthful of Don’s buttcheeks. “Just…hngh…okay, this is a little harder than I thought,” He huffed. 

“Ya need a push?” 

“Yeah, but gently- ow!” 

“Sorry, jeez, I’m tryin’, but yer shell’s gettin’ hung up on the sides.” 

Don twisted his hips so that the sides of his carapace slid into the vent shaft. He was angled a bit awkwardly, but it helped to fit the rim of his hard shell through diagonally.

“Okay,” Don sounded breathless. “Now,” Raph stepped back as Don kicked his legs slightly, wriggling to slither in up to his waist. “I can see the other opening—It looks like I’ll be able to jump down on the other side without any trouble-!” 

Raph watched in amusement as Don kicked his legs again. He heard shuffling and a thud from inside. 

“Genius, ya doin’ alright in there?” 

“Um, yeah. I can’t get a good grip on the sides of this air shaft, it’s totally smooth. Can you push me again?”

Raph shook his head. Don had some crazy ideas sometimes, but they almost always managed to work out. 

“Yeah, whatever ya need.” Raph smiled. Don positioned his legs so Raph could push him straight in. 

Raph grabbed Don’s ankles. “In ya go,” He grunted, hoisting Don’s legs forward. There was some give, and then Don came to a halt.

“Ow! Raph, don’t-!” 

“What, what’d I do this time?” Raph growled. He let go of his ankles, peering up at Don’s lower half.

“Hang on, it just hurt with my legs pressing against my—“ 

“Yer ass…” Raph finished, eyes widening as he gaped at the vent opening. 

He stepped back, watching in amusement as Don writhed, his ass and legs hanging out of the wall like an obscene sculpture. Every time the olive skinned turtle would kick his legs to gain momentum into the vent shaft, his soft buttocks would press against the sides of the opening, preventing any movement forward. 

“Hey, Brainiac, what’s goin’ on?” Raph chuckled, enjoying the view.

“Um…nothing…unfortunately,” Came Don’s muffled reply, either choosing to ignore or not noticing the lewd glee present in Raph’s voice. “I think you’ll need to give me another push…” 

“Oh, ya mean ‘cause the vent’s too small like I said it was?” 

“Raph…” 

“Alright, alright.” 

Raph placed his hands on Don’s thighs and gave a gentle but firm push up and forwards, keeping his eyes on that very enticing ass as it squished against the sides of the opening. 

“Ah, this isn’t working…” 

“Yeah, no fuckin’ kiddin.’ I told ya, Donnie—“ 

Don let his forehead thud against his forearms inside the shaft. “I know, but it’s the only way.” He blushed as he realized his only option. “You might have to push higher up…” 

“Oh, ya mean I gotta push on yer ass?” Raph chuckled. “With pleasure. Though I think ya got a screw loose if ya still wanna go through with this plan of yers.” 

“Please, Raph, don’t make this any harder than it has to be right now…” Don murmured, his voice soft with embarrassment.

His mate had touched Don there plenty of times, but somehow, in this context, it felt …wrong, so perversely wrong… when they were supposed to be working. 

And he couldn’t see what Raph was doing, which made anticipating his mate’s big hands on his ass even more… Enveloped in the darkness, Don clenched his fists. His heart hammered in his chest.

Two calloused palms pressed into his bottom, and Don flinched as Raph squeezed him a bit too hard before giving him a shove. Don tried to keep his tail tucked, but the sensation of Raph’s calloused skin against his butt felt somehow heightened without the additional visuals to accompany the feeling. The familiar feeling of his mate’s large hands against his ass sent his nerves prickling, and his tail gave a reflexive twitch.

Don bit his lip, willing his tail to sit flat against his crack, hoping Raph wouldn’t notice the small movement. 

“Agh…damn, Donnie,” Raph grunted, pushing against him without success. “Suck it in, will ya?” 

“In case you haven’t noticed, that won’t exactly help in this situation.” Don mumbled, trying and failing to get a grip against the smooth walls inside the air duct. He tried to help Raph’s efforts, but couldn’t really do much other than try not to kick him in the face.

“Well, it was close fit, but yer ass ain’t fittin’ in there,” Raph gave a playful flick against the extra inch or so of Don’s asscheeks that pressed against the smooth wall.

Don tried to ignore his mate’s banter. They really needed to stay focused if they were going to get out before they were found or Leo and Mikey started to worry…

“Let’s try one last thing. Do you see anything around that you could use to…y’know…” Don blushed at the connotation. “lubricate my skin?” 

“Hang on,” Raph sighed. “Jeez, th’ things I gotta do…” He muttered.

Don rolled his eyes. He was certain his plan would work; He could see that the other opening in the air shaft was just beyond his duffle bag. If Raph could push him inside all the way to his feet, he’d be able to reach it easily and pull himself out on the other side. He was so close-!

After a few minutes of searching, Raph’s voice came through again. 

“Ain’t nothin’ in here but cleanin’ supplies, an’ I ain’t gonna put floor wax on yer ass. But…I got somethin,’” Raph sounded hesitant. “It’s the oil I use for cleanin’ my sai, but it’s not a whole lot.” 

“That’ll work, just give it a try. We’ve got nothing left to lose.” 

“I can think a’ plenty of things we got left to lose, like a buncha thugs jumpin’ in while yer ass is hangin’ outta the wall.” 

“Raph…” 

“Fine, whatever, but only if it’ll prove to ya this crazy plan a’ yers ain’t gonna work.” 

Don smirked to himself. He knew Raph could be gruff and stubborn, especially when he was worried. But despite his mate’s grumbling, he knew Raph trusted his plan would work. If they weren’t in potential danger, Don would’ve given him a quiet “love you, Raphie.” 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Raph’s hands returned to his backside, this time to smear oil around his hips. 

“Ya better hope this works, Donnie, ‘cause I don’t think a fight is gonna end well with my hands too fuckin’ slippery to grab my sai.” 

“I’m sure there’s a solvent you can use to clean your hands in that room.” 

Unbeknownst to Don, Raph was fighting to keep his concentration, his face flushed as he rubbed oil on a very familiar and beloved part of his mate. Raph cleared his throat. “Alright, here goes.” 

He pushed against Don again, and to both of their satisfaction and relief, Don started to slowly slide into the vent as the lubrication did its job.

“Alright, it’s working, Raphie-! Just a little further and then you need to push on my legs so I can-“

In that moment, Raph adjusted his hands so he could push harder, and his oil covered digits slid around on Don’s ass. He grunted and gave a strong shove—

\--and his thumb slipped up Don’s taint and under his tail before plunging without warning inside Don’s ass with the entire force and speed of Raph’s efforts behind it.

“AUGH! Ow…Owww-!” Don yelped, a little too loudly for a ninja supposedly on a mission. 

“Oh, jeez, I’m sorry, Donnie!” Raph gasped, looking up and immediately pulling his hands back. “I swear, it was an accident…” 

Don whimpered, rolling his ankles and curling his toes as he gritted his teeth at the echoes of stinging pain. 

“Ah…aghh…I believe you, it’s…okay, but…ouch.”   
“Yeh…yeh want me to keep at it?” Raph asked softly.

“Ah…yeah, it’s fine. Just…be careful about where you put your fingers.” 

“I’d offer ta kiss it all better, but that’ll hafta wait.” Raph grinned, bracing his hands against that soft ass again. He couldn’t see Don’s face, but he entertained the mental image of Don blushing in the dark air duct.

Slowly, he was able to push Don in a few more inches. Once his hips popped through, Don grabbed his duffle bag. 

“Okay, now push me the rest of the way in; I’ll tell you when I’m at the opening.” 

“Got it.” Raph wiped his hands on his shell and grabbed his mate’s legs, trying to ignore the very interesting sight of Donnie’s thick thighs just above his head. 

Don’s body made a comical sliding and squeaking noise as he slid through the vent shaft, but he finally made it in far enough to reach the vent. 

“That’s good, I’m there!” Don called, as loudly as he dared. Only the tips of his feet were visible from Raph’s end. 

Raph had to smile as he listened to Don unzip his duffle bag, could hear the sound of him rifling through his tools. Damn. Don’s plan really might work, after all. Save for a couple of…snags. 

Raph wiped his hands on a rag, feeling his lower abdomen stir at the thought of those two specific snags… those round, pert, soft snags. He licked his lips. He couldn’t wait for the mission to be over with so he could really get his hands on Don’s ass.

Don was able to pry the vent opening off from the inside with a little force. He kept his grip on it as he slowly peered out of the opening. The coast was clear, and the lights were still turned off, just as they’d been in the main corridor when Don and Raph came snooping around in the first place. It was a tight fit to maneuver in such a confined space, but he managed to push his duffle bag out before him and let it drop to the ground with a thud.

Then came the hardest part- He had to stick his arms out and push against the wall to pull himself out until he dropped out of the wall, with barely any time to position himself for a smooth landing. He carefully wriggled out to his waist and let himself slide slowly the rest of the way. 

Any embarrassment he’d felt about his hips and butt not fitting through the vent before was completely nullified when he realized it worked to his great advantage. What would’ve been a quick and sudden painful drop to the floor was now a slow, controlled movement as his oiled up hips squeezed through with just enough resistance to prevent him from falling face first.

Once his ass was free, sweating, he bent forwards at the waist as easily as he could, bracing himself with his legs on the inside of the vent. Letting the vent cover drop on top of his duffle bag to muffle the sound, he then took a deep breath and dropped the rest of the way himself, landing near the duffle bag and tucking and rolling away with minimal sound. 

Don made a mental note to take Leo’s kata drills a bit more seriously from then on; he was a little more winded and sweaty from what would’ve been a breeze for the gymnastic Mikey or the sinewy and lithe Leo. He and Raph lacked the flexibility that Leo and Mikey had, but Don wasn’t too bad, just rusty.

He gathered his duffle bag and made quick work of the door from the outside. 

Sliding the door open, he struck a cocky pose with his hands on his hips just for Raph’s benefit.

“Well, that crazy plan of mine worked, after all.” Don gloated, pushing the door the rest of the way open. “What do you think of that, Raphie?”

Raph’s back was turned to him.

“Uh… Raphie?” 

“Yeh…yeah, good.” 

“Raaaph. What’re you doing? We’ve gotta go. Now.” 

“H-hang on, yeh…I-I’m just…” Raph finished adjusting his belt and whirled around, obviously having just tucked himself back in place. “Okay…let’s go.” He grinned at Don. Just a little too widely.

The smell of semen immediately recognizable in the air, Don leaned against the door frame.

“Are you serious? Wow, you couldn’t even wait—“

Raph strolled past him, a contented smirk on his face. “Sorry, Donnie, yanno I did my best, but…” He reached down and pinched Don’s ass, still coated in oil. “That big BRAIN a’ yers gets me good an’ hot sometimes.” 

Don smacked his hand. “Keep it in your shell until we get out of here.” 

“Whatever ya say. C’mon!” Raph took off running, and Don followed.

The sting of Raph’s thumb entering him so suddenly still burned a little bit as Don ran after his mate. Something about the danger of the situation and the unexpected stimulation and pain…now that the immediate danger of being trapped in enemy territory was out of the picture, Don realized they’d basically been engaging in foreplay all evening.

Cheeks flushing, Don couldn’t help but think that maybe things worked out for the best, after all. 

He had a few new plans to work on for the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *(note: my headcanon is that they’re roughly 5’ to 5’3” tall going by how short they look next to April and Casey in this version.)
> 
> And credit where credit is due: tmk came up with the idea for Raph's finger to accidentally, well, y'know. ;)


	4. Tight Spaces & Flushed Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raph and Don are in heat at the worst possible time, in the worst possible place... but they try to make the best of a bad situation.
> 
> Chapter Specific Warnings: KNOTTING, HEAT CYCLES, PAINFUL SEX, VERY HIGH SECOND-HAND EMBARRASSMENT POTENTIAL.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this with the idea that Raph has a knotting ability (during heat) and Don's tail secretes lubrication, but he receives anal sex using that "function." It might not be your cup of tea or preferred HC for mutant turtle anatomy, so please keep that in mind if you choose to read this. 
> 
> This one is loosely connected to another drabble I wrote where Raph knots inside Don for the first time and it surprises them here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669123/chapters/51240910

Being in the middle of their heat was usually something they’d been conditioned to ignore; trained to focus on missions when necessary, and conditioned to continue life as any bipedal mutant turtles who spoke human languages are wont to do. Sure, they were practically naked on a daily basis, but the turtles learned to appreciate modesty in relative terms; unless someone’s tail was lifted or a penis was on display, they considered one another to be “clothed,” gear or not.

But sometimes, the… scent… would hit Raph’s olfactory system just the right way at the wrong time, and it could get him and his mate into trouble.

Donatello had a nervous habit of chewing his pen or pencil while working; sometimes he’d stick his tongue out if he needed to get a piece of equipment to sit juuust so. But Raph could tell Don was in an emotionally heightened state in general if Don wagged his tail. He knew all the signs and could guess what they meant: soft twitches belied curiosity, gentle and slow side to side signaled that the purple clad genius was content, while a quick fluttering wag side to side meant he was very pleased. Fluttering and quivering in an up and down motion? That meant Don (or at least his body) craved sex; a thick cock pushed inside him to fill him.

And that last tail-wagging-pattern was what had Don’s very distinctive heat scent (it smelled tangy, faintly of salty sea air) assaulting Raph’s senses.

Of course, it would be in the middle of a mission.

And why wouldn’t it be while they were hiding in a broom closet?

Raph gritted his teeth and pressed his dry tongue against the roof of his mouth, resisting the urge to open his mouth and churr.

And the cherry on top was that the damned broom closet was the size of a freakin’ postage stamp.

Raph shook his head, sweating in the poorly ventilated and rapidly heating room. His mate was busy with his back turned to him (more like pressed carapace to plastron, it was such a tight space), peeping silently out at the hallway through a tiny gap between the door and the frame. Don shifted his olive fingers slightly, and Raph’s keen hearing picked up on the sound of Don’s moistened finger pads and palms squeaking over the frame as he held the door still. Don’s hands were just as sweaty as his own.

The sounds of enemy feet still clamored through the hall, though they sounded further and further away.

Now if Raph could just get Don to stop twitching that goddamned tail of his and releasing that intoxicating scent into the air… from the smell, Raph could just imagine how wet and slick the underside of his mate’s short, plump tail must be. Soft to the touch like velvet, with two rounded pads of flesh making up the inverted heart shape where the tail met Don’s ass.

“…calling for inspection.”

Don’s whisper cut through Raph’s thoughts.

“Whut, whaddya say, Donnie?” Raph croaked, just as loudly as he dared.

Don quirked an eye at him over his shoulder. “I said, this is bad, they’re calling for inspection. Seeing as inspection’s held in this main corridor, we might be here a while…”

Raph’s eyes darted down to Don’s tail in the dimly lit space. Don gave him a glare before firmly clamping his tail down between his ass cheeks.

Don carefully shut the door with a faint click as the footsteps approached.

“Raph, not now…” He mouthed, head turned awkwardly again to look at his mate over his shoulder. He shifted to face Raph, and his shoulder brushed against the door. Don sucked in a mouthful of air through his teeth. Luckily, the footsteps and noise from outside was far too loud for anyone in the hall to detect the noise.

Raph was thankful that Don had thought to remove his bo from the back of his sash when they first entered the cramped space; the sound of heavy oak hitting the door would surely alert the foot soldiers outside to their presence. Don’s bo rested safely against the corner of the room next to an old broom and a very moldy mop.

Don slowly turned in the confined space, standing on his toes, pressing closer towards Raph when his carapace threatened to scrape against the door—

“Scoot back,” Don hissed.

Raph pressed himself back against the wall at the back of the closet, and when his carapace thudded against it, Don immediately grabbed Raph by the shoulders and yanked him forward. Don tried to ignore heat from Raph’s skin as he dug his fingers into the firm, bulging flesh of his mate’s deltoids.

Meanwhile, Raph was balancing on his toes in an effort not to fall forward on Don, breathing in that intoxicating scent that filled the small space between their bodies. They managed to balance themselves without either of them stumbling back and loudly knocking against the door or the wall with their shells, swaying a bit on their toes as they steadied themselves…

The result? Perfectly beak to beak, Don’s arms hugging against Raph’s wide shoulders and his hands gripping his shell. And Don’s front was pressed flush against Raph’s plastron; For a moment, all they did was breathe. The hot puffs of air tickled across the top of Don’s beak (Raph was an inch or two taller than him, after all), and their eyes met.

“Yeh got coffee breath.” Raph whispered.

“Hm…speak for yourself,” Don replied, wriggling a bit to dislodge his arms; they were wedged between Raph’s shoulders and the walls of the closet. “I can smell the pepperoni calzone you ate for lunch.”

Raph snorted, trying to stifle his chuckle. Raph’s golden eyes caught Don’s chocolate brown ones in the dim light. He leaned forward and captured Don’s mouth in a hungry kiss. Don didn’t resist, parting his lips to allow Raph’s tongue (zesty) to enter his mouth. He had to admit, it was more comfortable and a much more ergonomic use of the limited space to lock mouths than to stand beak to beak. It saved them precious inches in front and behind.

Before long, Don realized Raph’s warm hands were rubbing gently over his hips, sending a shiver up his spine. Don’s skin was cooler than Raph’s, and the sensation of heated calloused palms and thick fingers teasing over his soft sides had him canting his hips back and forth instinctively.

“N…no, we can’t…in here…” Don mouthed, before he tilted his head to rest in the crook of Raph’s shoulder. He let his tail flicker upward again, exposing his slick backside. He caught his own scent in the stale air of the closet, and it only made him crave the taste of Raph’s own pheromones.

Before he could stop himself, Don laved his tongue over Raph’s pulse point, biting down gently on the tendons on the side of Raph’s thick neck and running his open mouth up and down the emerald skin. He tasted the salty, earthy sweat that lingered on Raph’s flesh, felt the scars that marred Raph’s upper trapezius muscles under his tongue.

“Unnghh…” Raph grunted, keeping his voice low. “Seems like yer mouth’s givin’ me a green light, though.”

Don felt Raph’s bulging penis unfurl against his inner thigh, and the heat was like a brand against his soft cool skin. He shifted, trying to straddle Raph’s member to give him room to fully bloom; however, his kneepad pressed against Raph’s own before he could spread his legs wide enough. Raph hissed through his teeth as his cockhead pushed against Don’s lower plastron, the ridges in the cartilage there uncomfortable, constraining, and thoroughly sterile in comparison to what Raph truly wanted.

He wanted to be sheathed inside Don’s tight, soft heat.

Judging from the warm length leaking and tapping against his own upper thigh and the renewed tangy scent in the air, Don wanted the same thing.

Raph moved without thinking, deftly and expertly as his ninja training conditioned him. He reached down and back and grasped Don’s pliable buttocks in his large hands, while dipping slightly at the knees. His penis bobbed up into the air between them for a split second before Raph pushed his knees together and caught Don’s legs on the outsides of his thighs. He controlled his breathing as he heaved Don upward, hoping Don would catch on--

His faith in his mate was well-founded. Don pushed himself up as Raph lifted, using his trapped arms and hands against Raph’s shell for leverage.

Raph breathed hard through his nostrils for a few seconds, holding Don in the air above his cock. Together they listened, and heard the clattering of foot soldiers lining up. Raph timed it perfectly; Just as the loudly barked orders rang out in the hall, Raph dug his fingers into Don’s slickened ass cheeks and spread him as wide as he would go before he lowered his mate just over his cock.

Raph grunted and gave a few experimental thrusts, thigh muscles burning with the effort of holding Don aloft and the strain of bending his legs at the knees.

The head of his cock was smeared with pre-cum, and Don’s ass was slick from his own heat. His heavy cock pressed against Don’s hole and slid, slapping the underside of Don’s plump, sensitive tail. Don let out a small mewl before Raph took a steadying breath and attempted again—He thrust his hips up and allowed his forefingers to relax against Don’s hole. His cock was anchored between Don’s soft asscheeks for a brief moment, and then Raph pressed upwards just as Don allowed his muscles to loosen…

In a single, smooth motion, Raph lowered Don onto his cock with a sigh of relief. Don nearly cried out at the sudden penetration, however lubricated the way might have been. Don sank his teeth into Raph’s shoulder to silence himself, stuffing his mouth with the firm rounded flesh. Raph felt Don’s tongue play frantically over his skin, felt his teeth break the surface. The burn and sting was a welcome stimulating sensation after the frustrating afternoon he’d had.

Raph pulled his hands back over Don’s (now sweaty) thighs, and gripped the backs of his knees. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, stuffed into the confining space. The only movement they could afford was up and down.

“Yeah… ready?” Raph murmured, keeping a portion of his sex-hazed mind focused on the sounds outside the door for any sign that they’d been detected.

Don sucked on his shoulder before releasing the flesh, beak and teeth pink from the small amount of blood he had drawn mixing with his saliva, and pursed his lips as he nodded.

Don clasped his hands together around the back of Raph’s shell as he was lifted up on the thick shaft, then dropped back down as Raph’s hips rose to meet his ass. Don opened his mouth in a silent scream, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt Raph’s thickness stretch him open and fill him. The deep ache in his abdomen gave way to jolts of pleasure as Raph’s heavy cock pushed against his prostate. His own organ leaked against Raph’s plastron, brushing against the soft leather knot in Raph’s sash and dribbling cum all up and down Raph’s belly.

With both of them unable to reach Don’s cock, Raph had to improvise. He ground his hips forward as closely as he could with each thrust, lightly squeezing Don’s cockhead between their fronts. Don let out a breathy churr before he stifled himself again, chewing on the side of his tongue to avoid crying out.

Raph’s thrusts grew more erratic, and his breathing was labored through his nostrils as he clenched his jaw firmly shut to prevent any stray gasps or churrs from escaping. He pounded into Don with increasingly staccato jabs until Don saw stars from the rubbing ache against his prostate. Just as Don began to think he might pass out from the stale air in the closet and the heat, the soft leather of Raph’s sash rubbed his dickhead just the right way, Raph bit down on Don’s shoulder and JERKED up into him, hips jostling against Don’s spread thighs, and—

Don threw his head back, blanking out as his cock erupted all over Raph’s front. He didn’t register that the loud clatter was the sound of his shell hitting the door. Before he knew it, his innards tightened around Raph in a vice grip, only emphasizing the impressive girth of his mate as he swelled inside him—

Wait. SWELLED?! Don’s eyes flew open. In their hormone-induced haze, they’d both ignored a key and DANGEROUS component of coupling during heat… Raph’s knot…

“O-oh…n-nnoo…” Don breathed, biting his lip and bracing against the burn of being stretched and filled beyond comfort.

Raph responded with the barest hint of a whine, low and trembling and mixing with the churr in his throat as he came…and came… and kept cumming, unable to stop his hips from bobbing up and down.* It was the closest they could get at the moment to: “Oh, shit. We didn’t think this through.” “Nope, we didn’t.”

What felt like an eternity to Don was only a few seconds. He came plummeting down from his orgasmic haze as he detected another sound—the doorknob turning.

What happened next was a nightmarish blur.

Don remembered trying desperately to turn out of pure survival instinct, but he was trapped; firmly held in place at his shoulder (with Raph’s jaws clamped over his flesh), his arms with no room to move unless he raised them over Raph’s head, his hips held in a vice-grip by Raph’s hands, and of course, the massive knot swelling larger and larger inside his tight passage.

All he could do was hold onto Raph even tighter around the back of his carapace to prevent them falling forward as the door flew open. He watched in what felt like slow motion as the rectangle of light illuminated the back wall of the closet, and Raph unclamped his jaw from Don’s shoulder, head jerking up like a deer caught in headlights. Don couldn’t see who had opened the door, but he felt eyes on his back. One glance at Raph’s eyes, as his pupils constricted in panic, told him he should prepare for the worst.

(Illustration from a quick pencil sketch I did during a break, then I added some loose digital coloring...basically what I imagine the random Foot solider would see upon opening the closet door as the sliver of light hits Raph's face.)

Don was absolutely frozen with mortification.

He didn’t even feel Raph’s hands releasing his hips, his legs were wrapped so tightly around Raph’s waist that he barely moved. (Of course, there was also another solid mass anchoring him in place).

A rush of air swept past him, and he heard the singing of Raph’s sai cut the air, then the thud of a foot soldier hitting the floor. Footsteps running towards them.

“Shit,” Raph’s voice was lower and more guttural than usual. “Fuckin’ hold on. Bo, now!”

Don had to give his mate credit; Raph’s heat inside him confirmed that Raph was still in the throes of his rut. Half the blood in Raph’s body wasn’t even in his brain, yet he could still access his fighting instincts like second nature.

“Wh-wha?” Don whimpered, still trying to push himself up and off of Raph without any success. “R-Ra--…we can’t-“

“Either that…or relax…” Raph let out a pained grunt. “…yer hole--!”

“AGhh…hnn…I-I can’t!”

“Yeh, that’s what I thought. So grab yer bo an’ hold on tight.” Raph growled.

“Oh my god,” Don moaned. He couldn’t mean… He did!

“Keep yer head down…I’ll take the front, you’re gonna hafta watch my—our—back.”

“No, Raph--!” Don protested, half out of sheer embarrassment, half out of doubt that they could effectively fight their way through foot soldiers to safety while bound…connected…coupled…like that.

“I AIN’T GONNA DIE IN A BROOM CLOSET, DONNIE!”

Don would’ve countered with the suggestion that maybe the location wasn’t the worst part about their potential demise, but it was already too late.

Raph pushed his way out of the closet, and Don reached back to grab his bo from the corner just as the light from the hallway nearly blinded him. He hooked his feet around Raph’s shell and wrapped his left arm over Raph’s shoulder as tightly as he could. He tried to relax his pelvic floor muscles, but that wasn’t happening. He just hoped Raph wouldn’t (or couldn’t) do much unnecessary jumping or running.

“What’s the fastest way back outta here?” Raph grunted.

“Ah… ahmm…” Don stammered, trying to get his bearings. He had to think of everything in reverse, given his current position. “Ri—Go left!”

“Great,” Raph growled, jogging as quickly as he could while holding the weight of an extra turtle. “I jus’ hope my dick doesn’t break off inside ya—!”

“It doesn’t work—whoa!” A shuriken rushed past Don’s head. “—that way!”

Don couldn’t see how many soldiers were blocking the way out that end of the hallway, but he could see behind Raph that he’d be plenty occupied with protecting the rear as a few soldiers came running after them.

“Yer squeezin’ the life outta me,” Raph elbow checked two foot soldiers who approached from the side. “—so it sure feels that fuckin’ way-!”

Don heard a combination of metal on metal from behind, could feel Raph’s arms bumping against his sides as he reached as far forward with his sai as possible.

He managed to ignore the throbbing burn enough to block several projectiles from the rear; But the soldiers were rapidly catching up to them.

“We’ve gotta move, they’re gaining on us back here.” Don gasped, striking the closest soldier over the head before he could lunge for Raph’s legs.

“Think I don’t know that?!” Raph panted. “Hang on—!”

With that, he bolted as quickly as he could, using Don’s shell at his front as a battering ram against the remaining foot soldiers in their way.

“Agh… ah! Ow!” Don uttered, trying to brace himself against the slight up and down motion as Raph awkwardly hefted them the remaining 20 or so feet down the hallway.

“I know, I know!” Raph grunted, punctuated by clanging and the thuds of foot soldiers being mowed down.

Don managed a few well-aimed blows at 2 soldiers who had managed to steady themselves against the wall. He winced as his right arm bore the repercussion of his attacks, without another arm to brace the bo. His wrist was going to be sore if they managed to make it out, not to mention the strain on his inner thighs and back.

They made it to the stairwell, and Raph practically blew the door off its hinges as he desperately flung it open and shut behind them with a deafening slam.

Don cried out as his lower carapace smacked into the metal bannister separating the two flights of stairs, eyes widening as the ceiling came into view and Raph nearly fell forward.

“Owww, dammit!” Don yelped, feeling Raph’s knot jostle against his inner walls as Raph tossed his sai down and grabbed the bannister before he slumped forward.

“Fuck… fuck…” Raph gritted his teeth as Don involuntarily clenched around him.

For a few minutes, they rested there, with Don’s carapace perched precariously on the bannister and Raph hungrily gulping in air. He was dripping sweat.

“Okay…I think we can both agree that this wasn’t a great idea,” Don offered, breaking the relative silence.

“No shit.” Raph agreed. “I feel like my damn legs are gonna fall off.”

“Try focusing on that, then…” Don groaned. “Maybe you’ll start softening a little…”

Raph shifted his hips against Don, who hissed through his teeth at the tugging sensation as the swollen knot pushed against his opening.

“Fu-uuuck…it ain’t happenin’ anytime soon.” Raph grumbled. “Yer ass is too tight… an’ right now, that ain’t a compliment.”

“My ass-! Maybe you’re just… just… too thick, ever think of…that?” Don argued. It didn’t sound like much of a retort.

Raph lifted his head, meeting Don’s eyes.

And Don looked up to see: Raph, dripping with salty sweat, deep emerald skin mottled with bulging veins at his temples, the rims of his golden irises practically glowing in the dim light, mouth twisted taut into a toothy grimace as arousal and pain fought for dominance of his nervous system.

The view from Raph’s perspective: Don, bandana soaked with sweat, chocolate brown eyes blown dark with exhaustion, eye ridges knitted together, cheeks tinged pink from the heat running through him, lips parted and swollen from where he’d bitten his own lower lip too hard…

…And it was the hottest fucking sight Raph had ever laid his eyes upon.

Raph churred, the sound breaking with a whimper as his knot pulsed inside Don again, and another torrent of hot seed pushed its way into Don’s guts.

“Fuck it,” Raph growled, grabbing the back of Don’s shell and rolling them both down onto the landing. He braced his palms against the ascending stairs behind Don’s head and began rutting into Don with short thrusts, unable to pull out but instinctively trying to push himself deeper.

Don’s lower plastron stirred back to life, cock at half-mast as the pressure against his prostate built again. This time, he could reach between their bodies to palm his dick.

“Ohhhh…aghh… ah…ah!” Don choked out, his voice getting higher and breathier with every thrust from Raph and each roll of his palm around his own shaft.

His tail trembled and flicked beneath them, leaking more tangy slick to pool beneath Raph’s knot.

The sound of Don’s shell rolling against the concrete floor mingled with Raph’s grunts and churrs. Don was close to climax again, curling his toes as he felt his abdomen swell with Raph’s --

“…Guys?”

Don could’ve sworn he heard Leo’s voice.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Oh, god. It really was Leo. And Mikey—they’d come through the door to the stairwell behind Raph.

Raph didn’t bother turning to face them, just put his head down and kept fucking into Don. “Ain’t stoppin’…” He grunted.

“Ah-! O-oh, shell, agh! Uh…Gh-! G-Guys, this is--” Don began, face beet red as Leo and Mikey’s shocked faces came into focus. His vision was fuzzy at best, and he could barely form any words of explanation—

“Shut up, Donnie,” Raph bit down on his shoulder with a low growl.

“Aughhh-!!! Oh, fuuuuck,” Don moaned, humiliated as his orgasm coursed through his body.

Raph seemed to ignore the other two, churring hungrily as he pushed into Don’s body one last time before collapsing on top of his mate.

They lay there, weapons on the floor around them, in full view of the other half of their team.

As embarrassing as that was, in the back of his sex-drunk mind, Don supposed it wasn’t as bad as a hallway of foot soldiers seeing his ass spread wide and bobbing up and down like he was Raph’s hood ornament.

“Is someone going to explain what is going on here?” Leo snapped, tapping his foot.

Don felt Raph’s knot finally soften and shrink.

“N-no…” Don whimpered, grabbing Raph’s shoulders in an attempt to keep him from pulling out, but--

Raph pulled back and his cock slipped free, anyway.

With an embarrassing noise, so did a gush of semen and… trapped air, sending the white milky fluid bubbling from Don’s ass. Don’s face heated as he desperately tried to clench his opening closed, tail wagging against the leakage.

Don froze, keeping his eyes locked on Raph’s chest, trying his best to pretend that Leo and Mikey weren’t standing over them, and that he hadn’t just dribbled his mate’s copious sperm from his gaping ass…

Oh.  
And in a stairwell…  
…in a foot soldier base.

Raph was unfazed. He shakily got to his feet, dick bobbing freely.

He turned to meet Leo’s eyes.

“In heat… made the best of a bad situation,” His voice sounded nearly feral with a rough snarl. “Got a fuckin’ problem with that, Leo?”

Don nervously looked back and forth between Leo and Raph, worried there would be an argument.

Leo set his mouth in a tight line, cheeks tinged dark with embarrassment.

All the leader could do was give his head a single stiff shake ‘No.’

“Well…shall we?” Raph muttered. He scooped Don up into his arms, and silently began walking down the stairs.

Mikey and Leo looked at each other for a moment, picked up their brothers’ sai and bo, and followed without argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Again: (Uh, if you’re wondering WTF is this supposed to be knotting? Yeah, I have no excuses. I like knotting even though they’re turtles/reptiles)


	5. The Battle Nexus Winner's Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Placeholder for the next drabble, based on the image posted below. I appreciated the interest on Inkbunny, so I am eking out this chapter place holder so I have a little accountability for completing the drabble over the holidays! 
> 
> If Leo hadn't been attacked, and if Raph won the Battle Nexus Championship, what would his treatment be like...? A hot oil massage, maybe a big feast in his honor, and he'd drink it up! But most importantly, Don's really taken to the practices of that dimension. The people of that kingdom hear his higher pitched voice, see his olive skin compared to his bros' more green-tinged skin, and assume that he might be a female turtle. I'm sure that fancy bed's gonna get some good use while they stay in that dimension...
> 
> This is inspired by some fun discussions tmkslf and I had about 'The Big Brawl' arc of TMNT 2k3. I'm also sure tmkslf started this all with this [lovely drawing of Don: Battle Sexus Champion a while back! ;)](https://inkbunny.net/s/2136232-p14-#pictop)


	6. Postpartum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Related to [**Nesting: Raphael/Donatello Mpreg Drabbles**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21777130):  
> Raph and Don’s first patrol together postpartum is an eye opening experience for both of them.
> 
> (Akane, Takeshi, and Tamotsu are mentioned, but not seen in this piece, so I didn't include it in Nesting since it is more RaphDon heavy for how they perform as a duo.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Contains some descriptions of violence, injury, blood.
> 
> Honestly, I have no idea what made me want to write this. It was kind of impulsive...and to be honest I definitely think this is one of my weaker stories. Writing action is really difficult for me but I guess this is good practice. I was thinking about this sort of scenario where Don is hesitant but surprises himself in a fight. I didn't think I'd keep my motivation to write it all out compared to other ideas, so I tried to just get this out and posted.

It had been 13 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days since Akane, Tak, and Tamo hatched from their eggs. 

And it had been 5 months since Don resumed some semblance of regular training, ramping up his time in the dojo slowly but surely until he could almost perform at the level he had before carrying the triplets. 

Well, there were setbacks. So technically, Don would remind Raph, it had only been 4 months and 2 weeks…his lower back had gotten strained while sparring at half-speed with Leo at the end of the first month of regular training. And there were plenty of tense discussions over Don’s determination to limit his diet to only salads and bland boiled chicken breast since then. 

Despite Don’s best efforts (or, as Raph would put it, “self-inflicted punishment”), he still remained softer and rounder than he’d been before carrying eggs; Don’s body simply refused to shed body weight the way it would’ve when he was younger. Don fashioned a new belt for himself, one made of strong elastic and wider so that it helped offset his protruding middle and stabilized his core to prevent lower back strain. 

Still, though, as Raph and Don went topside for their first nighttime patrol together since their children hatched, the quiet energy between them was content. Raph had been on patrols and some missions with Leo and Mikey, but Don had not been allowed topside until they could be sure he was physically healed and conditioned again. Raph smiled as he watched Don raise his face to feel the moonlight on his face, stretching his arms to feel the cool and dry air in the alley where they emerged. 

“Remember, we ain’t lookin’ to take down the entire Purple Dragons empire, Donnie. Just take it easy tonight,” Raph rasped, trying to keep things business despite feeling his heart skip a beat at the rapture on his mate’s soft features. 

Don grinned. “Yeah, I got it… I figured we’d just take the old route across town and back, see if anything’s going on in our old haunts, check the consistency of the pigeon waste on 57th and Park...take a ride in a Triceraton cruiser if things get too boring--”

“Hey, don’t jinx it!” Raph lightly cuffed him in the shoulder, surprised by how much firmer his mate’s deltoids had grown in just a few months. “Heh, maybe ya really did spend too much time at home… Mikey’s rubbin’ off on ya.” 

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind that one bit,” Don laughed, following Raph up a fire escape onto the roof of an old brick building lining the alley. He puffed a little bit as he scrambled to keep up with Raph. “I’d like some of his energy! Actually, I think I owe him a lifetime supply of comic books after all of the diapers he’s changed.” 

They took off, running and leaping over the rooftops together. 

“I can’t argue with ya there. Watch the ledge,” Raph called, doing a somersault over a particularly worn and crumbling brownstone roof where the stone was jutting out awkwardly. He turned in time to see Don make it safely over the ledge by vaulting on his bo. Lowering his voice as his mate joined him, “Somethin’ ‘bout that goofy face a’ his makes ‘em stop cryin’. Maybe what we need fer the nursery is a baby mobile…y’know, just dangle Mikey from the ceilin’ in a hammock every night.” 

Don laughed at the mental image of his brother suspended over the baby turtles’ bedding, catching his breath. Raph noticed with some concern that he was still holding his back with his free hand, his face carrying the barest hint of discomfort. Don was clearly trying to hide it from Raph.

“Why don’t we call it a night after crossin’ Bronx Shore, Donnie?”

“Really, Raph… I’m fine…” Don puffed. “I won’t be of any use to the team if I don’t keep up with my physical conditioning.” He winced as he squared his shoulder, straightened his body and pulled in his stomach, trying to hide how his back ached. 

Raph sighed. It was clear his mate still felt the effects of laying three large eggs, not to mention the months of changes leading up to it and afterwards. “Alright, listen, I’m gonna take ya at yer word when it comes to yer limits,” he began softly. “But…Donnie, ya know yer always useful to the team, no matter how much ya fight. We wouldn’t have anything worth havin’ in the lair if it weren’t for how ya—“

“I know, Raph…” Don interjected. He lowered his brown eyes. “I guess I just want to know for sure if I can still…y’know… do the things we did, before.” He chewed his lower lip, hesitating. “Heh. Call it a midlife crisis, or…a quarter life crisis in our case…whatever you want; it’s just something I feel I have to know for myself.” 

Raph wanted to tell Don how beautiful he looked in the moonlight, but he thought better of it. Now was not the time to flirt. Don…his brother…his mate… was feeling some kind of way about his new role as a mother that clearly didn’t intertwine as smoothly as they’d have hoped with his prior life as a ninja and a crime fighter.

Raph had always tried to be as mindful as he could be about Don’s feelings towards his changing form. While Don had never been a “guys’ guy” in the stereotypical manner, Raph still understood on some level that Don wasn’t ready to give up his identity as a member of the Hamato clan; there was Donatello the genius, Donatello the soft-hearted pacifist, Donatello the…mother… of their hatchlings… but there was also, still, Donatello the ninja, Donatello the younger brother. 

As the moonlight and the ambient glow of the city played over his mate’s face, there on those rooftops, Raph felt he loved all of those facets of Donatello more than ever.

He reached out, tentatively, reflecting the gentleness he’d come to embody as Don’s mate, and let his hands rest upon Don’s shoulders. Giving a firm squeeze, he said, “Why don’t I just shuddup an’ let ya call the shots? Ya never failed me before.” 

Don’s brown eyes glistened, wet in the pale light. “Thanks… thanks, Raphie.” 

He cleared his throat. 

“Hm… well, as the key strategist,” the playfulness in his voice lilted through soft tenor. “I say… that we head over to Bronx Shore, and if it’s quiet there, we go as far as 57th and Park. Pigeon waste check optional. Then we can turn back.” 

Raph had just opened his mouth to reply when a scuffle and shouting rang out from below, the sound coming from the narrow alley behind the building. They were closer to the East river than central Manhattan, and the street lamps were fewer and far between. With a quick glance at one another, they made their way to the edge of the roof. 

Looking down, they could make out the forms of five men hitting and kicking another who was curled into a ball on the grime-caked pavement. 

Whether it was a random mugging, a fight between associates, or some kind of drug deal dispute, it didn’t matter to Raph. Don was less likely to get involved unless it had something to do specifically with their enemies, but even Don couldn’t ignore the fact that there was one guy against five, the man’s labored pleas for them to let him go dampened by the close brick around them on all sides.

It didn’t take them a second thought to know it would be too late before any humans heard the scuffle and called the police. 

Raph drew his sai and lightly pushed his elbow out in front of Don, giving him a look over his shoulder that told Don to stay back unless it was necessary to back him up. Don felt a surge of adrenaline flood his body; this would be, potentially, the first fight he’d had in a very long time, and some small part of him was afraid he wouldn’t be able to back Raph up. 

But there was no time to question it. Raph crouched over the ledge and then jumped down, letting out an enraged shout as he barreled down on two of the men. Don watched silently from above, clutching his bo staff tightly. Raph took both of the men out with a swift split kick, and Don cringed as he heard the sound of jaws cracking and teeth breaking. 

Part of their relationship meant that Don had to accept Raph’s tendencies for excessive force and violence on missions just as much as Raph had to accept Don’s hesitation to throw the first punch. But, still, it was a more visceral sound than Don remembered. 

Raph hurdled into the three men who had been kicking the lone man on the ground, mowing them down with the force of his dense body. What dim light made its way into the alley glinted off of Raph’s sai as they cut through the air and made contact with leather, fabric ripping as the sharpened silver tips punctured and split skin.

It made Don feel a bit sick, still, even after all of those years, but he understood that Raph had his own way of justice. The three men staggered back in varying states of injury, one of the men’s voices gurgling in his throat where Raph’s sai had likely opened his jugular and ripped as deep in as the trachea. 

Raph landed a blow to the last man standing of the three with the back end of his sai, knocking the man out cold. Don watched his mate’s hulking form as he jump-kicked the man in the very center of his body, sending his body slamming against the wall on the other side of the alley with a crack. Don gritted his teeth; he tried not to keep track of Raph’s injuries-inflicted tally in fights if he could help it, but part of him wanted to question if it was really necessary to crack the back of the man’s skull against the wall?

Still… Don exhaled the breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding. He loosened his grip on his bo, relieved that Raph would not need his help. 

“Hey, hey, can ya get up?” Raph was hunched over the battered man on the ground, rummaging through the man’s pockets in his jacket. The man just let out a wheezing moan. Don saw the small rectangular glow of a cell phone screen as Raph pulled up the emergency dial function. 

They’d always tried to avoid using their own phones to call authorities; over the years, they’d gotten very good at maneuvering their way around every variety of cell phone with their thick green fingers. 

The man groaned, as if he was trying to say something to Raph and just couldn’t get enough air. Don knew he might need to provide the man with some medical assistance before the paramedics could get there. 

“Oh shit, man… ya still breathin,’ yer gonna be alright…” Raph grunted, holding the phone to his head. The man groaned more, writhing and scuffling his shoes against the pavement in pain.

Don willed himself to move, then, dropping down to the first fire escape. He was about to jump down the rest of the way when--

“I’m just usin’ ya phone to call the co--“ 

A loud bang, followed by the sound of ammo blowing a small hole in the dumpster beside Raph.

Somehow, neither Raph nor Don had noticed the figure who’d emerged, blocking the narrow alcove’s exit back to the street. It didn’t help that the few streetlights in the immediate area were in disrepair. The gang's sixth member.

Raph dropped the phone and drew his sai, hunched low to attack as quickly as he could, but Don saw the man raise his arm. Before the barrel of the gun in the man’s hand could even form a silhouette against the grimy pavement, Don launched himself at the man before he could think; he kicked off from the fire escape with a loud clang, angling his bo out to reach the man before he could.

Don didn’t even register Raph’s alarmed shout. 

“Raaaaph!” Don didn’t recognize his own voice, it was so shrill and feral. The gunman looked up for a brief moment and Don saw a flash of terror cross his face just as his strike landed.

He whipped his bo down with ferocity and speed helped further by his descent. Don felt the man’s skull break beneath the kinetic energy of his strike, the heavy oak staff rending a lateral crack in the bone. 

Just as Don felt the contact of his strike, he sent the man hurtling onto the alley ground with a kick to the ribs. Don surprised himself; the man’s body made a sickening wet crunch as the contents of his skull spilled onto the grime of the pavement.

Don didn’t feel the surge of adrenaline subside until he saw the gun had landed out of reach. Hands trembling, Don secured his bo in its housing before he picked up the gun and ejected the round from the chamber. 

Somewhere in a haze, Don could hear Raph saying something to the victim on the ground, resuming his 911 call. 

The sound of the bullets chiming against the pavement brought Don back to the present moment, and suddenly he could feel the clammy air from the river against his skin, could smell the putrid garbage in the alley… Raph was okay. He placed the gun on the ground for the police to find.

Don took a few deep breaths and got to his feet. His body was electrified; he didn’t feel his aches or pains in his lower back, could barely register the feeling of his feet against the ground. He turned as Raph put the phone back in the victim’s pocket. 

Raph took a just-slightly-too-long look at the body of the gunman on the ground between he and Don, his golden eyes large for a brief moment. “Donnie…don’t look.” 

Don took a shuddering breath. “I won’t.” He smiled softly at Raph, the corners of his mouth drawn tight in some regret for having killed. Don knew it was not the first time, but he’d always hope it would be the last. 

Raph placed a gentle hand on Don’s shoulder, thumb rubbing back and forth over the skin in an added gesture of comfort. He knew that Don was more sensitive to the violence that marked their lives, but he was by no means an innocent bystander. “C’mon, let’s get home.” 

The sight of his mate, emerald skin free of fresh injury, and Raph’s warm hand on his shoulder brought Don back to himself entirely. He nodded, and they quickly made their way back to the rooftops.

They ran for some time without talking, until Raph lead them to a building where they could see the Hudson, could just make out some of the lights dotting the green cliffs on the Jersey side. They were closer to home, but it was clear Raph took them a little bit out of the way just for the view. 

The moon hung lower in the sky, nearly obscured by the tall wooded cliffs that marked Edgewater. They sat on the ledge of a 4-story brownstone in silence for a while, before Raph placed his hand over Don’s. 

“Donnie, if ya have any second thoughts about tonight…ya saved my life. I hope ya realize that.”

Don shook his head. “I…don’t think I’ve ever… Raph, I was so ANGRY. I just… for a moment, I was enraged.” 

Raph gave him a reassuring smile. “Judge me if ya want, but fuck if that wasn’t really badass, though. I don’t wanna hear ya moanin’ anymore about how soft or outta shape ya think ya are.” 

The tension dissipated. Don shrugged.

“Don’t come between a turtle and their mate or their eggs, I guess. Yeah…that’s what it was. For a second, I saw life without you there to see our kids grow up.” 

Raph held Don close. “Wow. I must make a big impression, then. My life’s in jeopardy, an’ ya see YOUR Raph-less life flash before your eyes, eh? I don’t think my ego can take much more puffin’ up.” 

Raph’s voice lost all joking bluster, lowering to a husk. “…I thought ‘bout that, too. Yanno I did.” 

Don leaned in so that their foreheads were nearly touching. “Well, it’s a good thing that you have such a strong and powerful mate,” He grinned, thumping an olive fist against his chest. “Y’know, to protect you.” 

Raph chuckled, and leaned in, catching Don’s mouth with his own. They kissed deeply, slowly, and Don felt his nerves from the night melt away. 

When they pulled away, the moon was nearly gone from sight behind the cliffs.

“Alright, Mama-Bear, let’s get home to our little cubs, eh?”

“Lead the way.”


End file.
